Thermally reversible gel compositions including a thermally responsive viscosity modifier work well for applications in environments where the temperature is generally higher than the ambient or pre-treatment temperature of the composition. Such compositions can be of low viscosity at ambient temperature, but substantially increase in viscosity or thicken to a thickened, semi-solid, or gel-like composition in the higher temperature environment (e.g., an oral environment). The use of compositions including thermally responsive viscosity modifiers has been reported for use in applications including, for example, dental whitening (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,666 (Oxman et al.)) and dental etching (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,667 (Trom et al.)).
What is needed are other thermally responsive compositions with desirable properties after application to a surface.